Ask A Gynecologist: ‘Can Rough Sex Harm Your Vagina?’

Finally, we're bringing you very public answers to some of your most private questions. When sexual and vaginal health concerns arise, OB/GYN and nationally known women's health expert Dr. Jessica Shepherd wants to ensure you have the answers you need to feel at ease. As the founder of Her Viewpoint, an online women's health forum, she uses this outlet to focus on addressing taboo topics in a comfortable setting.

Q: Can Rough Sex Harm Your Vagina?

A: It's not necessarily that it would harm it, but it can cause some trauma to it, especially if someone experiences bleeding after or burning and irritation. Those are the things that can happen with rough sex.

But, the vagina, in general, is very forgiving. It has a lot of elasticity. It has a lot of collagen, which allows the vagina to usually return to it's normal size. That's pretty evident and you can see with child birth, you know? I would hate if my vagina stayed that large after delivering a human! After, there's definitely recoil and elasticity of the vagina that allows it to return to its normal size.

If something does occur during sex and you feel extreme pain, see a doctor immediately.